Transitioning a loved one into a nursing home can be a difficult experience under the best of circumstances. It can be confusing, too, when hearing loss is added into the mix. Of course, it’s fairly common as at least half people in this country over the age of 75 having age-related hearing loss. When your loved one is transitioned into a nursing facility, their ability to comprehend and communicate in this new environment becomes vitally important. For that reason, it’s important to maintain a focus on their hearing health in addition to their overall mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
Communicate clearly what is going on
Perhaps the most common reason that people experience anxiety at any age and life situation is fear of the unknown. For that reason, it’s highly important that your loved one is fully informed about what is happening in their life. Once the decision to move them into a nursing home is made, have a frank and open conversation with them about what the next steps will be. If you’re researching different options, put them on the discovery team. This adds a dimension of control they might not feel in most arenas of their life. Make certain that they comprehend the discussion surrounding their move. Ask questions to ascertain whether they’re able to clearly understand the conversations that are happening around them.
Ask them about their feelings regarding the move. As concerned as you are about whether they’re hearing the details about their life transition, it’s equally important that they feel heard. Creating space for them to voice their fears and anxieties can go a long way in giving you a clear path to easing the transition. You’ll know what to look out for and when to address potentially stressful situations.
Make yourself known
If hearing is a problem for your loved one, additional responsibility for the quality of their caregiving may fall on friends and family. Know the names and faces of the people who will be providing daily care to your loved one. The reasons for this are many-fold. Your loved one’s caregivers are human beings with stories and lives and their employment with a nursing facility is just a fraction of what their days are made up of. The work that they do happens to be of the utmost importance to you, though, so make your respect and gratitude for them known. Often, these are the unsung heroes of our society, providing care and comfort for our wise ones. Unfortunately, the way they are most often repaid is with low wages, long hours and arduous tasks.
Secondly, the old saying, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” has remained an adage because it’s the truth. Make sure that the facility’s staff know your name and face and that you are keeping a close watch on the care of your loved one.
Old habits die hard
When it comes to the care of your loved ones’ actual hearing aids, maintaining good hearing aid habits is imperative. Remember that half of all people over 75 years of age have age-related hearing loss? That means that there are going to be quite a number of hearing aids floating around most nursing homes. Make sure that your loved one always has well labeled hearing aids so that they can be easily returned in situations where they stray from their owner.
It’s also very important to allow them to maintain storage habits that are easily repeatable. Purchase a storage case to be placed on the bedside table and stress the importance of storing them in the same way whenever they’re taken out. This way, if they’re not in their ears, they can be easily located.
Check fit and function
Check in to make sure the hearing aid is functioning properly. Your elderly loved ones should be meeting annually with an audiologist to make sure everything is hunky dory. Their degree of hearing loss may have changed unbeknownst to anyone, requiring a different setting or even model to account for the loss.
What’s more, older folks may feel insecure about speaking up for themselves and advocating for their needs. While the issue with their hearing aid might have much more to do with a poor fit or disrepair, they may hold back on reporting these issues and instead blame themselves for their improperly functioning device. This adversely impacts their quality of life as they could be having a much easier and fruitful hearing experience with a few simple adjustments.
Visit Us at Desert Valley Audiology
Our team is experienced in providing hearing health care of people of all ages. To schedule an annual appointment or a checkup on hearing aid functionality, contact us at Desert Valley Audiology today.